The Narendra Modi government is planning to use land available with six loss-making central public sector enterprises for affordable housing. Some of the land available will be used to build houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) to achieve housing for all by 2022.

The Central govt has identified nearly 3,000 acres of land available with six CPSEs including Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (IDPL), Hindustan Machines Tools (HMT), Hindustan Antibiotics and Tungabhadra Steel Products, The Economic Times reported.

Shortage of land has emerged as one of the main issues plaguing the implementation of the affordable housing scheme.

According to the report, the government had recently revealed that it has managed to build only 2.96 lakh of the 32 lakh houses sanctioned in urban areas and 15.6 lakh of the 60 lakh sanctioned houses in rural areas. 

Now, with the government allowing those with a rural waitlist to opt for houses in urban areas, the requirement of houses is expected to grow higher.

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